


Giving Up On Giving Up

by DaydreamingofDragons



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, First Meetings, Funny, M/M, implied alcoholism, might count as crack?, referenced bar fight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-19
Updated: 2015-04-19
Packaged: 2018-03-24 20:14:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3782863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaydreamingofDragons/pseuds/DaydreamingofDragons
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The evening started normally enough. Just Sam, Dean and Jo out for drinks. Somehow, it ended with Gabriel jumping into Sam's arms and New Year's Resolutions well and truly broken.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Giving Up On Giving Up

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [SPN Monthly Challenge](http://spnmonthlychallenge.tumblr.com/) in March. The theme was giving something up and the prompts used were: "how to order a Sex on the Beach when the bartender is hot as hell,” a cameo appearance by Garth or Henry, getting slapped in the face with a fish.  
> Thank you to [Aleatory](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Aleatory/pseuds/Aleatory) for betaing for me.

“I'm still not sure about this, Dean,” Sam protested. They were already outside the bar, so it was probably too late to argue. In any case, his previous attempts hadn't done him any good. But he felt he should make one final effort.

 

“About giving up booze? Great, me neither!” Dean gestured at the bar ahead of them. “So how about we get in there, get nice and drunk, each find a nice girl, or boy,” he amended quickly at Jo's raised eyebrows, “to take back to the hotel and make a night of it?”

 

Sam shook his head. “Not what I meant.” He hesitated, not wanting to get into an argument in public. “Since Lisa... you didn't take it well and I'm worried about you, okay? I don't want you to end up like Dad,” he finished quietly. Jo patted him on the shoulder and Dean had the grace to look guilty.

 

“Yeah, I know, little brother,” he admitted. “And I agreed to it, didn't I? But, come on, man. You gotta give me this one last night! Maybe the hangover will put me off?” Dean grinned winningly.

 

“Hasn't worked yet,” Sam muttered, but he knew he was going to give in.

 

Sure enough, when Jo sighed and asked, “So, we going to get a drink at some point or did we drive across the country to watch Sam stand on the street all night?” he relented and led the way inside.

 

“Place is kind of dead,” Dean remarked. Sam shrugged. It was a little empty for a Friday night, but hardly dead. Sam rather liked it; the music wasn't too loud and he didn't feel in danger of stepping on someone every minute. Dean gave the room a dubious look. “How'd you even find it?”

 

“Friend told me about it. She's been dating one of the staff for a while,” explained Sam. “So, what're you guys having?”

 

“Beer,” Dean's answer surprised Sam. Apparently his brother wasn't quite as intent on getting drunk as he claimed.

 

Jo grinned at him. “Sex on the beach!” Dean sputtered and Jo rounded on him before he could speak. “Don't you say a word! I'll drink what I like and if you make a single comment about 'chick' drinks I will drag you out to the range and kick your damn ass the minute we get home!” She smiled cheerily. “And I'll tell mom.” Dean swallowed and wisely stayed quiet.

 

Sam grinned. “Yeah, he knows better than to mess with Ellen.” He left them bickering and leaned on the bar, waiting for the bartender's attention. “Two beers and -” Sam broke off as he got a proper look at the man behind the bar, waiting expectantly for Sam’s order. He was _gorgeous_. Dark hair with a slight wave swept back from his forehead and eyes that caught the light and Sam's attention. Sam completely forgot what he'd been trying to say, busy wondering just what colour you would call those eyes. Brown might be accurate, but it just didn’t do them justice. Was it just the fact that he was in a bar that was making him think of whiskey? Perhaps there was some kind of obscure gemstone the right shade?

 

“Yeah?” the man prompted. “Two beers and a...?” He met Sam's gaze, a knowing smile on his lips and Sam realised he’d been staring for… Well, he wasn’t honestly sure how long. Long enough to be obvious.

 

“Uh, sorry,” Sam managed, looking away. He paused as it occurred to him just what he was about to ask for. How to order a sex on the beach when the bartender is hot as hell wasn't a question that had ever troubled him before. Right now, he wished he'd given it some thought. “Two beers and a sex on the beach, please,” he managed in a rush, figuring it was better just to get it over with. He was _not_ blushing. He was twenty-two years old and there was absolutely no way he was blushing.

 

The man smirked, and that just drew Sam’s attention to his lips and _dammit_ . “Well, since you asked so _very_ nicely.”

 

Sam was definitely blushing. He dropped his gaze to his hands where they rested on the bar, breaking eye contact. “I didn't-” he stopped. So, he hadn't meant to flirt, but he couldn't say he was upset about being misinterpreted. “Thanks, but I can definitely be nicer than that” he smiled, earning a warm chuckle as the bartender turned away to fetch the drinks.

 

He passed them to Sam with a wink, laughing as that made Sam's fading blush return and letting his hand linger against a glass just long enough to brush Sam's. “I'm Gabriel, by the way.”

 

Sam introduced himself, shivering at the brief skin contact. Then another customer was calling for Gabriel's attention and Sam took the drinks back to Dean and Jo, trying to will away his pink cheeks before they noticed.

 

It may have worked, because there was no teasing and soon the three of them were deep in conversation about back home. Topics ranged from whether Bobby or Ellen would get sick of waiting first and make a move (Jo and Sam had their money on Bobby, Dean said he would never bet against Ellen), to how the auto-repair business was going, to whether anyone was daring to date Jo seeing as she had Ellen, Bobby _and_ Dean ready to take a shotgun to anyone who even thought about breaking her heart. “To hell with you guys, _I'll_ be the one with the shotgun,” was Jo's opinion, at which they both laughed and nodded.

 

Sam volunteered to go fetch their next round. Dean and Jo both gave him suspicious looks, but didn't argue. For a moment, he thought he was out of luck and going to be served by the other bartender. Gabriel was at the other end of the bar, drumming his fingers against the wood and checking his watch, apparently oblivious to Sam. When he finally did spot him approaching, Sam was impressed by how fast he moved, sliding into place in front of Sam, practically elbowing the other bartender out of his way. From the roll of her eyes and grin, she was used to strange behaviour from Gabriel, but Sam still gave her an apologetic smile.

 

Gabriel crossed his arms on the bar and smiled up at Sam. “Just couldn't stay away, huh?”

 

“Guess not,” Sam replied, returning the smile automatically.

 

“So, what can I do for you this time? Screaming Orgasm, maybe?” Gabriel leered shamelessly and Sam choked.

 

“Uh, no, I mean... Just the same again, thanks!”

 

“Your loss,” Gabriel shrugged. “So,” he asked over his shoulder as he fetched the drinks, “the blonde chick you're with. Girlfriend?”

 

Sam grinned at his poor attempt at a casual tone. “Nope. Practically my sister.”

 

“Oh,” Gabriel was still trying for casual. “The dude then. Boyfriend?”

 

“Actually my brother,” Sam reassured him.

 

“Oh,” Gabriel handed him the drinks. “Good.”

 

“Yeah, good,” Sam was smiling widely. “I gotta go take these...” he gestured behind him.

 

Gabriel wiggled his fingers at him. “Come back soon.”

 

“I will,” Sam took a deep breath. “And maybe then we can talk some more about that, uh, orgasm you offered.” He was certain his face was scarlet as he turned away without waiting for a response, hopefully leaving Gabriel as off-balance as Sam felt himself.

 

Sam managed to return to their table without glancing back at Gabriel. He sat back with Jo and Dean, trying not to let his gaze drift to the bar too often and plotting ways of slipping Gabriel his number, preferably without Dean or Jo knowing.

 

From the way Dean knocked his shoulder and teased, “So, which one of them's the lovesick staring for?” his attempts at subtlety failed miserably.

 

“What? No, I'm not-” his denials were interrupted by a snort from Jo.

 

“Sorry, Sammy, you really are. Not even subtle. Really freaking sappy, dude.” Dean sat back with a self-satisfied grin. Sam knew he was in trouble the second Jo exchanged a look with Dean. She drained what was left of her drink in one smooth movement and pushed the glass across the table.

 

“Finished. Want to go get me another, Sam?”

 

“Not really,” Sam tried, but he could see Dean gearing up for some humiliating method of convincing him, so he folded. “I hate you both.”

 

“No, you don't!” Jo called after him cheerfully as he returned to the bar. Sam shook his head. Brothers and almost-sisters trying to be helpful were a nightmare.

 

To Sam’s surprise, Gabriel didn’t greet him with a smile. He asked for Sam’s order in a dull voice, refusing to make eye contact. Sam shook his head, confused. “Hey… you okay?”

 

“Fine,” Gabriel snapped, glaring at Sam so fiercely that he had to wonder what he had done. Obviously, something had made him angry, and he seemed to be blaming Sam. He pushed Sam’s drinks at him without comment and stalked to the other end of the bar. Sam was left wondering just what it was he had done. He supposed he had come on a little strong, but he couldn’t see that bothering Gabriel. Even if he had thought Sam was flirting with his drinks choice, he had seemed to reciprocate eagerly. Sam sighed, and headed back to his seat, feeling dejected.

 

He got the drinks back to the others without incident and moved so he was sitting with his back to the bar. “Leave it,” he advised Dean and Jo, firmly.

 

They settled back into conversation, chatting about possibilities for what to do during the rest of Dean and Jo's trip. Despite his alleged plan to say goodbye to alcohol with one last wild night, Sam was pleased and surprised to find Dean restraining himself. Although, he wasn't enjoying the irony of _him_ being the one failing at flirting. Especially when he hadn't even been trying in the first place!

 

“Ow!” Sam exclaimed, startled out of thought by Jo's boot connecting hard with his shin.

 

“Don't be a baby, I hardly nudged you! Thought you might wanna know your guy's sitting all by himself over there. Looks sort of lonely.”

 

“He's not my anything, Jo,” he protested, even as he looked over his shoulder. A pretty redhead appeared to have taken over at the bar. Gabriel had moved to a table in the corner, where he was nursing a drink, staring into space, and, yes, looking lonely. Sam made a snap decision and stood up from the table. “Excuse me.”

 

He regretted his impulsiveness plenty as he crossed the room. No way in hell was he turning back with his brother and Jo watching, though. The place has gotten busier since they arrived, and he had to weave his way, but eventually, he found himself standing there, being scrutinised by the most beautiful pair of eyes he had ever seen. Without a clue what he was going to say.

 

“Uh, hi.” _Oh, nice, Sam, well done._ “ Mind if I, uh, sit?” _Oh God, this seemed a much better idea back there._

 

Gabriel’s mouth twitched, as if fighting a smile. Sam just appreciated his restraint in not laughing out loud. “Hey,” he returned, voice dull, but he nudged a chair out from the table with one foot. Sam took the invitation and sat down. _Apparently Gabriel likes tall guys who are wishing they could sink through the floor?_

 

Gabriel was leaned back in his seat, watching Sam with a slight grin and an expectant expression. Sam cleared his throat. “Uh, I just wanted to apologise, I guess.” He fidgeted in his seat. “I’m not really sure what I said to upset you. But, sorry, for whatever it was.”

 

Gabriel opened his mouth, then snapped it shut again. “No. You didn’t say anything, I just remembered something.” He looked pained. Sam frowned and Gabriel slumped down in his seat. “ _Damn_ my brother! Damn him and damn you and your suggestive drinks and your massive hands and your gorgeous fucking eyes!” He yanked on his hair in frustration and downed the rest of his drink in a long swallow.

 

Sam blinked and gave serious consideration to getting up and making a break from it. Something kept him in his seat. Perhaps the way Gabriel sounded so furious, but looked more defeated. _More like I'm just paying too much attention to the 'gorgeous eyes' bit and have no common sense_. “Okay,” he said slowly, drawing the word out. “You want to explain any of that?”

 

“Sorry,” Gabriel grimaced. He gave his hair a last pull and let his hands fall into his lap. “Okay, the thing is? Under normal circumstances I would be all over you. 'Cos _damn_ , kiddo, you're like my own personal vision of paradise.” Sam blushed at the frank appraisal and Gabriel smirked. “I would be _totally_ up for dragging you home and seeing just how far that blush goes.”

 

“Okay,” repeated Sam, breathily. “And why are we not doing that? Because, for the record, I would be fine with that.”

 

“Damn it all,” Gabriel muttered, squirming in his seat. He pointed accusingly at Sam. “You are not making this easy.” He sighed. “We're not doing that because I promised my little brother I wouldn't.”

 

Sam stared. “Yeah, you're going to have to explain that.”

 

“New Year's Resolution, Sammy. No more picking up cuties in bars.” Gabriel shrugged. “Solemn promise to my little bro.”

 

Sam tried to imagine extracting a similar promise from Dean and couldn't picture it at all. Suggesting that maybe Dean should cut back on the alcohol a little had gotten him enough of a fight, even if he had won in the end. “That's... not really any of his business, is it?” he asked in confusion.

 

“Yeah, well,” Gabriel started, his mouth set in a tight line. “Apparently, he didn't see it that way when he got a call from the emergency room in the middle of the night saying his big brother's had the shit kicked out of him.” Gabriel was absently rubbing at his right arm, Sam noticed. “Dunno how I was meant to know the chick wasn't quite as single as she said. Anyway, little bro was kinda upset about it. That was a bit before Christmas and he wouldn't stop nagging me. So: New Year's Resolution.”

 

“Yeah, alright, I see his point. How about if I swear to you I'm single? No violent partner to come after you, I promise. Might that get me a date, at least?” Sam smiled, a little shyly. Sex had seemed pretty clearly on the table, but no guarantee Gabriel was at all interested in anything else. “Then you could say you didn't pick me up in a bar. Unless you really want to stick to it?” He couldn't have blamed Gabriel for steering clear of dating altogether after his experience. But, from everything he'd said, Sam hoped that wasn't the case.

 

“Ugh, I would be over the moon to be able to forget all about it. Sadly, it’s not quite that easy.” Gabriel bit his lip and refused to meet Sam's eyes. “There might have been a bit of a bet involved?” Sam couldn't help himself, he snorted with laughter. Gabriel looked offended for just a second, before he grinned ruefully. “Yeah, my brother knows how to get to me.”

 

“So, come on, what's the bet?” Sam grinned, curious now.

 

“Laugh it up,” Gabriel groused back. “I lose this and I get stuck with six months of washing up and not doing the cooking.”

 

Sam blinked. “That doesn't sound so bad. Washing up's a pain, sure, but it can't be that awful.”

 

Gabriel shook his head. “You're not seeing the bigger picture here, kiddo. Okay, doing the dishes sucks ass. But if I'm not cooking? My brother is. And you should fall down on your knees and thank every god you’ve ever heard of that you haven't eaten anything he's had a hand in.”

 

Sam winced. “That bad?”

 

“Well, you aren't going to get food poisoning from it, so there's something. But it's so... uninspired!” Gabriel declared with a dramatic gesture. “Good food should have _passion_ behind it. It's gotta be a labour of love, not just following the recipe to the letter. Sure, you could _eat_ it, but really, would would you want to?”

 

Sam bit his lip, trying his hardest not to laugh at the impassioned speech. Gabriel noticed and dropped his hands, flushing a little. “Yeah, sorry, I have a lot of opinions about cookery.” He looked away and Sam came close to blurting out that he thought Gabriel was cute when he ranted. He probably would have, if not for Gabriel’s confused look as his gaze caught on something over Sam's shoulder. “Hey, didn't you say the pretty dude was your brother?”

 

“Oh God, please never call my brother pretty again, not where I can hear you.” Sam pulled a face. Then it occurred to him to ask, “Why?”. He turned in his seat but couldn't quite see what Gabriel was still staring at, an increasingly baffled expression on his face.

 

Gabriel's gaze flicked back to Sam. “'Cause I think Garth just hit him in the face with a fish.” Sam returned the confused stare for a second, trying to process that sentence. Then he was on his feet and turning, just as the quiet babble of the bar turned into an uproar.

 

**

 

The entire group stumbled out of the bar onto the pavement, Sam almost last and offering profuse apologies to the staff, although he wasn't sure what he was so sorry for. Putting them to the inconvenience of asking both groups to leave, possibly. No-one else looked likely to. Gabriel staggered out after him, doubled over laughing and having been entirely unhelpful throughout the whole ordeal.

 

“Was only a puppet,” Garth, a regular at the bar from what Sam had gleaned from Gabriel before he’d gone incoherent, was still protesting, bewildered by the whole affair. Bewilderment seemed to be the general feeling. Well, not for Gabriel, who had moved quickly on to crying with laughter. Nor for Jo, who was glaring and being held onto by Dean, to keep her away from the guy she claimed had groped her ass. He was calling it a complete accident and trying, with the help of a few friends, to get Garth to leave quietly. Garth was voicing his protest and trying to pick up the stuffing leaking from what Sam supposed was a fish-shaped hand puppet of some kind.

 

“What the hell?” Dean asked for the dozenth time. Gabriel let out a loud whoop of laughter and leaned against the nearest wall.

 

“I don't know,” replied Sam, again. He really didn't. One moment he'd been talking quietly to Gabriel, then Gabriel had come out with one of the most bizarre sentences Sam had heard in his life. Then the fight had broken out. Or perhaps a better word for it would be ‘scuffle’, because as far as Sam could tell, no one had actually been hurt-- not counting the mutilated fish, whose collision with Dean's face had been a freak chance. The fight, scuffle, whatever you wanted to call it, seemed to have been unintentional too. A little later had been the polite, but firm request for them all to pay up and leave. And Gabriel had followed the whole way, laughing his head off. None of it made much sense to Sam.

 

Outside, Garth had at last been convinced to move, and was being led down the street by his friends. Jo had joined Dean in confused staring. Gabriel had finally subsided to giggles, standing upright again and wiping his eyes. Sam, having lost his grasp on the evening altogether, did the only thing that made any sense. He stalked over to Gabriel, whose giggles faded away as he watched Sam, bent down and kissed Gabriel firmly.

 

The brief moment of stillness gave Sam time to regret his decision and move to pull away, until Gabriel moaned, wrapping his arms around Sam's neck and going up on tip-toes so Sam could stand a little straighter. That was an improvement in itself, but the way Gabriel kissed him back, tongue and the nip of teeth, hunger and confidence, that was even better than Sam had imagined.

 

They pulled apart breathlessly, panting and grinning. Not very far, since Gabriel made no move to unloop his arms from around Sam, and Sam made no move to make him, his own hands resting on Gabriel's hips. He did free one to flip Dean off when he registered the gagging noises in the background.

 

“Hey,” Sam whispered, grinning ridiculously down at Gabriel. Gabriel somehow smiled wider and returned the greeting. “Don't know if you've noticed,” continued Sam, “but we're not in the bar anymore.”

 

Gabriel made a show of looking around. “Huh, so we're not.” His smile softened into something affectionate and beautiful. “Whatcha gonna do with that?”

 

“Depends on you,” Sam replied. “Think this is good enough to appease your brother?”

 

Gabriel pulled a face. “No way. Guy's freakishly good at getting the truth out of you. He's got this _look_.” He pursed his lips, then he was back on his top-toes, urging Sam back down into another amazing kiss. Slower, this time. A perfect, slow slide of lips and tongues that had Sam moaning into Gabriel's mouth, and he would have been embarrassed if he hadn't been so busy enjoying the helpless little noises Gabriel was making in turn.

 

“Fuck it,” Gabriel gasped, still clinging to Sam's neck. Sam opened his mouth to reply, just as Gabriel braced his hands on Sam’s shoulders and jumped upwards. With a startled squawk, Sam staggered slightly, before he managed to get his hands under Gabriel's thighs and hoist him up securely. Gabriel wrapped his legs tightly around Sam's waist and clung to his neck again. “Drop me and I'm calling the whole thing off!” he threatened.

 

“Sorry! To be fair, I wasn't exactly expecting a grown man to attach himself to my torso today!”

 

“Get used to it,” Gabriel advised with a cheeky grin. Sam narrowed his eyes and gave Gabriel's ass a firm squeeze in revenge. Gabriel yelped in shock and pressed in closer, so Sam counted it a win. Gabriel tugged on his hair and pressed a fleeting kiss to Sam's lips. “Oh _yeah_ , you are gonna be totally worth it.”

 

“I'll do my best,” promised Sam. A loud cough startled them both and Sam turned around to find Dean and Jo still standing there watching them, Jo with her eyebrows raised and Dean with crossed arms. “Uh, hi guys.” Gabriel twisted around so he could see and released Sam briefly to give a little wave. Jo laughed.

 

“Guess we'll be seeing you tomorrow then,” Sam could clearly the read 'really?' in Dean's expression.

 

He smiled a touch sheepishly. “Yeah, sorry. You okay getting-” he choked as Gabriel decided he was being boring and proceeded to lick his ear. That should have been gross. Sam was really sure it should have been gross. But it really wasn't. “Stop it!” Sam hissed teasingly. He continued in a barely audible voice, “Wait until we’re indoors and I'll let you lick anywhere you want.” He felt himself flushing, but the way Gabriel lost his breath in a shocked gasp and pressed even closer against Sam made it so worth it.

 

Dean and Jo were looking confused and faintly disturbed. “Yeah, fine, we'll get ourselves back to the hotel.” Dean took Jo's arm and urged her away. “See you tomorrow.”

 

“Make it late!” Gabriel called after them. Sam gave his ass another squeeze, just because his hand was still there and he could.

 

“Will do! Have fun!” Jo yelled back and Sam wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry.

 

“You are a total brat,” Sam complained at Gabriel, but he was laughing.

 

“Yep!” Gabriel was unrepentant. “Come on, Sammy, take me some place I can finally get you horizontal. I'm gonna do my time for this, but hell am I gonna enjoy tonight first.”

 

Sam didn't even bother putting him down before heading for a busier street in search of a taxi.

 

**

 

A month later, when Sam was meeting Gabriel's brother for the first time, he had to agree with Gabriel's assessment. Castiel's cooking was somehow awful without quite being inedible. He let Gabriel grouch at him as he did the dishes with Gabriel drying, then flicked bubbles at him when Sam decided he'd been grouchy enough. He agreed with Gabriel's other assessment too. Totally worth it.

 


End file.
